However, later in the campaign the British suffered defeat after defeat. Despite sending troops to Norway, to defeat the Germans conquering Norway in 1940, they proved to be ineffective and had to retreat. In the same year, the B.E.F (British Expeditary Force) were in full retreat from the German guns, tanks and planes. Over 300000 had to leave France via Dunkirk. Despite what the newspapers said, the British army was running away from the superior German army, leaving behind their guns, tanks and the rest of their equipment on the shores of France.
However, France, USSR and USA made little, if no contribution to the war at this stage. France was quickly defeated by German forces, and while resistance still continued, the Germans still had a good time in France. The USSR was allied to Germany at this time and helped the Germans conquer Poland, and expanded Soviet terriority in eastern Europe. And while the USA did give aid to Britain, the Battle of the Atlantic and the lack of any main direct conflict between Germany and Britain (i.e. an invasion of Europe) meant that the arms were of little use.
But later in the war, Britain gained more and more significance in the war. The “End of the Beginning” (Winston Churchill) was the defeat of Axis forces in North Africa in 1942. Despite Rommel Driving the British out of Libya, they soon suffered a strong counter-attack of 230,000 men and 1440 tanks led by the able British General Montgomery against Rommel’s 80,000 men and 540 tanks. In the two week battle of El Alamein, the British overwhelmed Rommel’s forces and chasing the retreating forces into the middle of Libya by the end of the year. Despite Rommel’s counter -attack on Operation Torch, it was the first time a German army was defeated on land.
However, in August 1942, a British-Canadian force of 6 thousand men tried to seize the French port of Dieppe. It was called Dieppe raid, but it was a horrid failure. Out of the 6 thousand men that took part, 4384 of them were killed, wounded or taken prisoner, along with the loss of 34 ships, 24 tanks and 106 aircraft. The Germans only lost 600 men.
